Rain-water filter.



No. 683,529. Patented Oct. l, |90l. S. J. VANCE.

RAIN WATER FILTER.

(Application mea Jan. 17, 1901.) (No Model.) 2 Shees-Sheet l.

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No. 683,529. Patented 0st. I, 190|.

s. .1. vAN'cE. RAIN WATER FILTER.

(Application led Jan. 17, 1901.) (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IIII, ll 'Il I 11Min Il hmm ||l I Ill Iii Iii' "mi" I NITED STATES PATENT FFICE.

SAMUEL JASPER VANCE, OF CARTHAGE, MISSOURI.

RA|N`WATER FILTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Leters Patent No. 683,529, dated October 1, 191. Application filed January 17', 1901. Serial No. 43,6 50. (No model.)

T0 @ZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SAMUEL JASPER VANCE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Carthage, in the county of Jasper and State of Missouri, have invented a new and useful Rain-Water Filter, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to filters in general, and more particularly to that class designed for filtering rain-water before it passes to a cistern; and the object of the invention is to provideaconstruction wherein the water from the rain-spout will first pass to the sewer or other waste, after which it will be caused to pass through the filter by automatic operation of a cut-off valve, and when the water has ceased to run to the filter the cut-0E valve will be opened to permit the filter to drain.

Further objects and advantages relating to details of construction will beevident from the following description.

. In the drawings forming a portion of this specification, and in which like numerals of reference indicate similar parts in the several views, Figure 1 is a view showing the body of the'lter in elevation with the inlet-pipe, the waste-pipe, and the valve-chamber in section. Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1 and showing the positions of the parts when the cut-off valve has been operated to close the waste-pipe. Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 1 and showing the cut-off or waste valve open to drain the filter when the water has ceased to run into the apparatus, as when it has stopped raining. Fig. 4 is a vertical section taken through the filter-chamber and the waste-pipe and valve-chamber, the inletpipe being shown in elevation. Fig. 5 is a transverse section through the apparatus just above the outlet of the cistern. Fig. 6 is a section on line 6 6 of Fig. 3.

Referring now to the drawings, the present apparatus consists of a cylindrical filterchamber, in one side of which and adjacent to the bottom is a waste or drain opening 11 and at a slightly-greater elevation an inletopening 12, the body or chamber 10 having also an outlet-opening 14 at a point near to its upper end, provided with a spout 15. Connected with the opening 11 is a vertical pipe 16, extending above and below said opening, the upper portion of this pipe being divided off by means of a transverse partition 17 to form a floatehamber 18, while the lower por# tion of the pipe forms the waste for the filter-chamber. In the pipe 16 below the operiing 11 isa valve-seat, with which cooperates a downwardly-opening valve 19, having a rod 20, which extends upwardly through the valve-seat and through a perforation in the partition 17, above which latter isattached a float 2l, whereby when the float-chamber is filled with water the float will be raised to raise the valve and close the Waste-pipe. To limit the downward movement of the valve, the rod 2O is provided With a flange 22 for engagement with the partition 17.

Connected with the opening 12 is the inlet or feed pipe 25, having a cylindrical upward extension 26, and through which extension and feed-pipe the rain-water passes from the rain-spout 27 to the body of the filter. Through the side of the extension 26 leads a by-pass 28, the inner end of which is inclined and has a perforated plate 29 in its end, and in connection with this plate is a pivoted closure 30, which is mounted upon the plate and has a handle 31 extending through the side of the extension 26 for operating it. By manipulating this handle the plate may be oscillated to open and close the perforations. The outer end ofthe by-pass is passed through the cover 32 of 4the pipe 16, and thus as the rain passes down through the extension a portion of it runs through the perforated plate and through the by-pass to fill the float-chamber. As it takes some time to fill the float-chamber, the water that first enters the body of the filter passes out through the waste-opening at the bottom thereof, this water being charged with impurities from the roof of the building from which the spout leads and being thus of no value. When the fioatchamber finally is filled, the fioat rises and cuts off the waste, so that the water may pass upwardly through the filter and out through the outlet at the upper portion thereof. In passing upwardly through the filter-chamber the water passes through a filtering-bed 35 of charcoal or other suitable filtering material and'which is held in a foraminous basket 36, which snugly fits IOC) the chamber and rests upon brackets 37. To permit the water in the float-chamber to waste away, and thus permit the float to drop and open the Waste-valve when the rain has ceased, an opening 38 is formed in the sides of the float chamber and near to the lower end thereof. With this construction it will be seen that when the rain-water first begins to iow into the lter-ohamber the Waste is open, and as a consequence the water will pass directly to the Waste, carrying with it the impurities that come downwith the first water as washings from the roof. The inflow of water to the float-cl1amber is greater than the outflow through opening 38, and hence the chamber fills and the ioat rises to close the cut-O or waste valve, when the water passes upwardly through the filter-chamber and through the filter-bed therein. When the rain ceases, the water in the ioat-chamber wastes through the opening 38, and the iioat is permitted to sink. and open the wastevalve to permit the filter-chamber to drain and carry o the impurities that are caught by the filter-bed. The filter-bed may be removed and washed at any time or other filtering material may be substituted, as desired.

In practice modications may be made and any suitable materials and proportions may be used. Furthermore, it will be noted that an overflow-pipe 39 connects the upper portion of the float-chamber with the inlet-pipe, which permits the water in the Heat-chamber to rise only to a suliicient height to operate the oat, the excess of water being returned to the inlet-pipe to pass to the filter. Also a screen 40 is disposed in the extension of the inlet-pipe above the by-pass to catch large pieces'of foreign matter.

What is claimed is- 1. The combination with a filter-chamber, of a waste-pipe connected therewith, a valve for opening and closing the Waste-pipe, a floatchamber, a iioat in the chamber and connected with said valve for operating it, an inlet-pipe connected with the filter-chamber independently of the float-chamber, a drain for the float-chamber and a by-pass connected with the inlet-pipe above its point of connection with the filter-chamber and leadceases ing to the valve-chamber to supply water thereto.

2. The combination with a filter-chamber of an inlet-pipe connected therewith, a wastepipe connected with the chamber, a valve for opening and closing the waste-pipe, a floatchamber, a float in the iioat-chamber connected with the valve for operating it, a bypass connecting the inlet-pipe and the iioatchamber for supplying water to the latter, an overow connecting the inletpipe and valve-chamber below the by-pass, and a drain for the valve-chamber.

3.l The combination with a filter-chamber of an inlet-pipe connected therewith, a second pipe connected with the chamber and extending above and below its point of connection, said pipe having a transverse partition above said point of connection to form an upper float-chamber and a lower waste-pipe, the latter having a valve-seat below the connection with the filter-chamber, a valve for said seat, a float in the float-chamber operatively connected with the valve, a drain for the loat-chamber, and a by-pass between the inlet-pipe and oat-chamber.

4. The combination with a filter-chamber of an inlet-pipe connectedtherewith, a second pipe connected with the chamber and eX- tending above and below its point of connection, said pipe having a transverse partition above said point of connection toform an upper float-chamber and a lower drain-pipe, the latter having a valve-seat below said point of connection, a valve for said seat, a float in the float-chamber and connected with the valve for operating it, a drain for the float-chamber, a by-pass between the inletpipe and the float-chamber above the waterline of the filter-chamber, a cut-cfr" for said by-pass, and an overliow between the :Floatchamber and the inlet-pipe.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in the presenceof two witnesses.

SAMUEL JASPER VANCE.

"Witnesses:

E. L. WILLIAMS, J. R. BRATTON. 

